“When the whole world is silent, even one voice becomes powerful.”
Malala Yousafzai
“What you do has far greater impact than what you say.”
– Stephen Covey
“There are two kinds of people, those who do the work and those who take the credit. Try to be in the first group; there is less competition there.”
– Indira Gandhi
“I’m acting as if it is so, even though it ain’t so,
in order for it to be so”.
Delman Coates, Ph.D.
In order to grow, in order to (hopefully) succeed, a Non-profit Leader needs to believe – in their self and their organization’s goal-driven plans. Those who wholeheartedly BELIEVE tend to thrive. Those who, on the other hand, are fervent Doubters are likely destined to flounder, not flourish. It’s that simple folks! Even with a great Mission and rock-solid resources (financial & human), a lackluster Executive Director who isn’t a believer is not likely to be an effectual Achiever either.
- The ‘better outcomes‘ they seek may never come to be. The mission of the non-profit they lead may remain unaccomplished.
- Passion, however deep it is, can not be allowed to be dampened by doubt. Doubt should be starved, not fed.
“I’m acting as if it is so, even though it ain’t so, in order for it to be so”.
Toni Jackson
When asked about her personal mission, Toni Jackson replied it includes “empathizing, embracing, enhancing, educating and empowering . . . My approach to volunteerism is the same as my approach to a paid position. I give it my all!”.
My work ethic comes from my parents, who were inspired by the words of Martin Luther King, Jr: “Everybody can be great. Because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve. . . . You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.”
Community Service & Volunteering Avail Much
- Community Service & Volunteering Avail Much: Toni Jackson
- 4 Things That Thriving Non-profits Do Really Well
- Stronger Working Together: Executive Directors and Non-profit Boards
- Achieving Better Outcomes: 2 Must-do Habits of Non-profits
- Toni Talks: Starting a Non-profit Organization
- Volunteers: An Essential Element of Many Non-profits
Read More Series Snapshot / Toni Jackson: Community Service & Volunteerism
In this Series, Toni Jackson has shared her insight into a wide range of non-profit sector issues. In this post, she offers four (4) steps to take when an individual is planning to launch a non-profit organization that succeeds.
“It always seems impossible until it’s done”.
Nelson Mandela
“Never confuse a single defeat with a final defeat”.
F. Scott Fitzgerald
It takes more than passion to be a true leader. Listening and loyalty are also important. Delquanda S. Turner has personally observed qualities which I feel represent true leadership.
Those seven (7) leadership qualities are:
- The ability to go beyond just leading staff members.
- Avoid placing your own expectations on a community.
- Be a good listener.
- Be able to talk real talk to those in the community.
- Passion is so very important.
- Be loyal and dedicated.
- Learn to just Say No when necessary.
These qualities are fully explored in two posts in the Series:
Read More Series Snapshot: Delquanda S. Turner (Non-profits)
“You have to go through life with more than just passion for change; you need a strategy . . . Passion is vital, but you’ve got to have a strategy”.
Pres. Barack Obama
Robin Morgan
Unconditional Service: Robin Morgan’s Non-profit Mission
“I was raised to be, not a servant, but a person who is willing to serve unconditionally. And the good Lord didn’t put you here to just make money, to just be a family. He put you here to leave a legacy.
And that can be knowledge, that can be money, that can be service. To me, it’s service. The more [people] I can connect with, the more people I can connect. I thrive on that!”
Unconditional Service: Robin Morgan’s Non-profit Mission
Financial Talk for Non-profits: From a Seasoned Pro
Good Non-profit Leaders: Seeing the Forest Too!
5 Habits of People who Start Non-profits Successfully
4 Must-have Qualities of Exceptional Non-profit Leaders
Non-profit Leadership: Tell-tale Signs of an Ineffective Leader
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure”.
Marianne Williamson (Our Greatest Fear)
Immeasurable power, not inadequacy
If you take ALL the right pre-launch steps in starting a non-profit, your passion with have a powerful impact! It will not be inadequate. But you must take these steps . . . and know what to do in the early years of your organization too.
The success of your 501(c)3 will be a function of much more than the depth of your passion!
- One risks inadequacy if they are simply passionate, but lack funds, a solid plan, or haven’t done their due diligence.
